More elementary schools with links to Confederate leaders to be renamed

More elementary schools with links to Confederate leaders to be renamed

Renaming schools to cost $40,000 total, officials say

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Updated: 2:08 PM CDT Oct 24, 2017

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WEBVTT ABIGAIL.ABIGAI WELL, NOW THE BOARDWILL BEGIN THE LENGTHY PROCESSOF RENAMING THESE THREEELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.JACKSON ELEMENTARY, LEEELEMENTARY, AND STAND WATIE ALLNAMED AFTER CONFEDERATEGENERALS.AND THE BOARD SPOKE CLEARLBEHIND THESE DOORS.THEY DECIDED THOSE NAMES MUST BECHANGED.>> HAVING RECEIVED SEVEN AYEVOTES, AND ZERO VOTES, THEMOTION CARRIES.ABIGAIL: AND JUST LIKE THATAPPROVED BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE.IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.ABIGAIL: BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREESWITH THE CHANGE.THIS GUEST REPRESENTING SONS OFCONFEDERATE VETERANS HAD AMESSAGE.>> FATHER, FORGIVE THEM. FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.[LAUGHTER]ABIGAIL: BUT SCHOOL LEADERS MADEIT CLEAR THEY DO KNOW WHATTHEY'RE DOING.AND THEY SAY IT'S TIME TO MOVEPAST THE PAST. >> WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU'REOBLIGATED TO DO BETTER.ABIGAIL: AND SUPERINTENDENTAURORA LORA SAYS SHE HOPES TOUSE THIS AS A TEACHABLE MOMENTFOR THE STUDENTS.BUT THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE AQUICK-FIX OR A CHEAP ONE.RENAMING THE THREE ELEMENTARYSCHOOLS WILL COST ABOUT $40,000AND TOTAL.I'M NOT OPPOSED TO CHANGINGSCHOOL NAMES.-- >> I'M NOT OPPOSED TO CHANGINGSCHOOL NAMES.THIS WOULD BE AN ADDED EXPENSETO OUR BUDGET AND I'M NOT FORTHAT AT ALL.ABIGAIL: IT'S NO SECRET OKLAHOMASCHOOLS HAVE NO EXTRA MONEYRIGHT NOW, BUT ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERSSAID HE KNOWS A PRIVATE DONORWHO WILL PERSONALLY PAY FOR THERENAMING SO OKCPS WON'T OWE APENNY FROM THEIR BUDGESO TAXPAYERS SHOULDN'T BE ON THEHOOK FOR ANY OF THAT.BUT THEY CAN PLAY A ROLE INCHOOSING THE NEW NAMES.AFTER THE UNANIMOUS DECISIONCAME DOWN, OKLAHOMA PUBLICSCHOOLS WATCHED THIS WEBSITEWHERE YOU CAN TAKE A SURVEY ANDSUGGESTS AN IDEA FOR A NEW NAMEFOR JACKSON, LEE, AND STANDWAITING SCHOOLS -- WAITESCHOOLS.THEY HOPE TO HAVE THESE FOR NEXTMAY.

More elementary schools with links to Confederate leaders to be renamed

Superintendent Aurora Lora said she hopes to use the name change as a teachable moment for the students.

Changing the three schools’ names isn’t going to be a quick or a cheap fix. Renaming the schools will cost about $40,000 total, school officials announced.

“I’m not opposed to changing school names,” board member Ron Millican said. “This would be an added expense to our budget and I’m not for that at all.”

It’s no secret Oklahoma schools don’t have extra money right now, but one board member said he knows a private donor who will personally pay for the renaming so the district won’t owe a penny from its budget.

After the decision was made, the school district announced a website containing a survey that allows people to suggest future names for the three schools. The survey can be found here.

District officials said they hope to have the new names finalized by the beginning of the next school year.